Prosecutor Valencia confirmed that there are ongoing investigations into forest fires

National Prosecutor Ángel Valencia confirmed that there are ongoing investigations into the forest fires affecting the regions of Bío Bío and Ñuble, which—he specified—will be fully developed once the emergency is under control.

In this regard, Valencia emphasized that "today the priority is to confront the catastrophe and stop the fires," underlining that the absolute priority remains the protection of people and firefighting.

However, he explained that the Public Prosecutor's Office has already taken measures to safeguard potential evidence. In that sense, he indicated that both the Regional Prosecutor's Offices of Ñuble and Bío Bío have coordinated actions with the police to protect the incident sites, "to the extent possible, without hindering, of course, the tasks related to the protection of people and fire suppression."

Valencia detailed that there are already preliminary hypotheses being analyzed by specialized teams, although he was emphatic in stating that it is not timely to draw conclusions prematurely.

"Of course, there are already some hypotheses that are beginning to be handled by the investigation teams. However, both Regional Prosecutor's Offices have arranged for teams of prosecutors specialized in fire investigation to have been working throughout the day," he stated.

He even added that the suspension of legal holidays for some specialized prosecutors was arranged to reinforce on-site procedures, given the magnitude of the emergency.

Regarding the origin of the fires, the national prosecutor called for prudence and avoided speculation. "It is a moment in which it is not timely—and it never truly is—to speculate about the origin," he affirmed, recalling that from previous experiences in the Bío Bío region, it has been learned that these disasters are not necessarily intentional.

"They can also originate from electrical accidents or from activities that are properly negligent by individuals," explained Valencia.

Regarding forensic examinations, Valencia acknowledged that in the larger fires, these cannot yet begin. "In the most significant fires, the disasters are still ongoing, and it is not possible for forensic examinations to begin," he noted, reiterating that "today the priority is to save people, stop the fire, and attend to the emergency."

Likewise, he indicated that the police are aware of the safeguarding protocols and are working alongside specialized prosecutors, both in protecting areas where it is already possible and in preparing future procedures.

Furthermore, he reported that the Bío Bío Regional Prosecutor's Office allocated resources to assist the families of victims who need to complete procedures at the Legal Medical Service to retrieve their relatives' remains.

Finally, the national prosecutor addressed the situation of the affected families, indicating that, in the event of any alleged misfortunes, reports should be channeled primarily through Carabineros de Chile, or alternatively through the Investigative Police or the Maritime Police.

Source:BiobioChile